Training to Transformation: Women in Sub-Saharan Africa Gain Confidence, Break Barriers
In a bright classroom in Nairobi, young women huddle around laptops, testing lines of code. They’re a part of AkiraChix's codeHive program, where technical training is just the beginning of a larger transformation.
AkiraChix is a nonprofit and GitLab Foundation grantee, dedicated to providing the most promising young women in Africa with technology skills to compete economically and bridge the gender gap in tech. Its flagship program offers hands-on technical training in software development — but it's so much more than that.
In June, GitLab Foundation Program Officer Kali Shebi and Philanthropic Partnerships Manager Samii Hartman travelled across East Africa to meet with AkiraChix and learn more about grantee partnerships and the one-year residential program offered to these young women. They spoke with AkiraChix Founder and Executive Director Linda Kamau, toured the facility grounds and observed students learning in classrooms.
“AkiraChix’s codeHive program is designed with these young women’s realities in mind and the barriers they face,” said Shebi. “By blending technical skills with confidence-building in a safe residential setting, the program gives them the best path to succeed and transform their lives — while also shifting economic opportunities and social norms in their communities.”
(L to R): Linda Kamau, AkiraChix founder and executive director, Lydia Oduor, communications engineer, Kali Shebi, GitLab Foundation program officer, and Samii Hartman, philanthropic partnerships manager.
According to the World Bank, in Eastern and Southern Africa, “a woman or girl is only 41% likely to be enrolled in secondary education, 20% likely to have a child as a teenager, and earns significantly less money than a male farmer, entrepreneur or wage worker.” Women are expected to fulfill traditional household roles and are often subjected to gender-based violence and disproportionate levels of poverty. AkiraChix believes in flipping the script and empowering these women to break barriers and end the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
codeHive student Mildred explains her experience in the program.
Women who are accepted into the program receive financial assistance, accommodation, meals, transportation, access to technology hubs and more resources. Mentorship is crucial for the development and confidence-building of women in the program. Linda Kamau deeply understands the immense impact the program has on young women.
“With over 500 graduates, our alumni now earn up to 6 times more than the average income in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Kamau. “They've raised household incomes, broken the cycle of poverty. Their success is sparking change far beyond themselves.”
Support doesn’t stop after the women graduate either. The organization offers upskilling opportunities, ongoing coaching, and built-in sisterhood for alumni through codeHiveX. These graduates scale impact far beyond themselves. Many women reported that after graduating and landing a job in tech, they’ve been able to fund their family’s education or purchase a car, contributing to a lasting economic impact.
Women accepted to the codeHive program live at a residential facility for one year.
There are a few projects on the horizon for AkiraChix. They plan to open a new facility, where they will be able to accept and serve more women from East Africa — many of whom are refugees. And later this year, they’re redefining their recruitment strategies to identify exceptional problem-solvers, and adding AI and machine learning to the curriculum to equip graduates for the future of work.
Kamau said that the GitLab Foundation investment will enable AkiraChix to see 80% of the young women in the class of 2025 access meaningful and high-paying jobs, with a 4.5x increase in income by their first full-time job, compared to income before their involvement in the program ($88 as per the 2023 cohort).
Beyond the numbers, AkiraChix and the women who gain the skills, confidence and tenacity to achieve economic mobility for themselves and their families are changing the economic landscape in Africa one graduating class at a time.
“Every time a graduate lands her first tech job, can support her family, or mentors someone else, I’m reminded why this work matters. Their transformation fuels mine. I’m motivated by the belief that when we invest in young women, we don’t just change individual lives, we shift entire communities, societies and futures.”
ROI
The projected cost efficiency of this grant is $971 per person to double their income over their life (cost per DIL).
This project is estimated to cost $11,921 per person to increase their lifetime earnings 482%
This project is estimated to increase annual earnings by $5,088 per person, for a total additional lifetime earnings of $152,640 per person
Total lifetime earnings increase across all participants: $1,755,726
$125,000 invested
